Professor Gordon Murray (Exeter) with his co-sponsors Professor Markku Maula (Helsinki University of Technology) and Professor Dietmar Harhoff (LMU Munich) have initiated a series of three research policy seminars involving both senior academics and policy makers from several countries. These seminars are designed to communicate existing policy-focused research activity and to influence future research programmes.
The first seminar was held in London 4th-5th April 2006 and was co-hosted by the Small Business Service of the DTI. Approximately 55 senior policy makers and academics were represented from ten European Union countries.
In the light of the experience learned in London, the second seminar was held in Helsinki on the 17th - 18th October, 2006. In the second seminar there were 50 delegates from 12 countries consisting of 21 academics, 24 policy makers, and 4 practitioners. The second semnar had a very specific programme of discussions related to the key issues of i) personal tax incentives for business angels and ii) the changes necessary to legal structures in order to allow cross-border policy initiatives in the venture capital financing of rapid growth and internationalising young firms.
The third NORFACE seminar is to be held in Berlin in the autumn 2007.
Article on the seminar series in the Academy of Finland's English-language magazine ProAcademia. Read article.
Publications:
Maula, Markku - Murray, Gordon - J''skel'inen, Mikko: Public Financing of Young Innovative Companies in Finland
Maula, Markku - Murray, Gordon: Risk Capital for Growing World-Class Companies: Challenges for European Policy